Like It Should
by morganbriefs
Summary: The Briefs family returns home after Majin Buu is defeated for good. OneShot. Mostly BV but Trunks makes an appearance. RR please! Enjoy!


**A/n: **well I recently updated my bio. It contains info on the updates coming up, including Fame, so I suggest you guys read it if you have any questions regarding any of my stories. This is a one-shot, B/V, something to get out of the horrible writer's block. Takes place after the Buu Saga, not so popular among DBZ fans, but I try to capture the Briefs family just after they come home from beating Buu for good. Hope you like it! Please review! Thank you for taking the time to read my story!!

**Disclaimer:** yeah I don't own anything, absolutely anything in my story…

**Rating: PG-13. **There's some mild language, maybe situational stuff, but nothing graphic so have no fear.

**Like It Should**

Bulma got out of the car and shut the door to the passenger side gently. Night had already fallen. They had bathed at Kame's lookout and had arrived at the Capsule Corp building soon after. Bulma had never felt so tired or disoriented for that matter like months had gone by but only days in real time. She fixed her eyes on her husband and cupped her face in her hand letting her elbow touch the top of the car for support as she explored every one of his features. For some reason, well for a lot of reasons, the fact that he silently offered to carry their eight year-old son fast asleep on his shoulder, all the way to his bedroom, made her the happiest she had ever been. Had she have to retell everything she had just gone through, starting with the complete change of her husband who had been overpowered by an evil force and had killed more than ten thousand people when at the battleground of the World Martial Arts Tournament, followed by the disappearance of her only son in the midst of one of the biggest threats that the planet had faced yet, then the death of her husband at the hands of this monster, the gap in her memories when she had been completely paralyzed, the revival of her husband to help kill the pink rubbery substance that constituted their enemy, and the return of her son completely safe at the end of all this, she'd have to say she was entitled to cry. Nothing had ever scared her so much. Nothing had ever hurt her so much.

They had been in a similar situation before: Cell had been as big a threat back then. Vegeta was much different of course and the particular set of events he had lived had truly changed his otherwise distant persona. Not everybody got to experience what they never had lived, the future, before it ever was. Mirai Trunks' caring for his father, his gratefulness at just the fact of having met him, his sympathy towards him, his acceptance of the cavalier asshole he was (in Bulma's very kind opinion)—they had changed Vegeta somewhat. Bulma had grown used to her husband's role as a father now, even when he hadn't been the greatest husband, he had never failed their eight year old son, Trunks. Trunks had grown very outspoken for a kid his age, he wasn't scared of Vegeta, he didn't mind showing emotion towards Vegeta (though he knew when to stay away from him and when to come close) and Vegeta, in return, had a lot of respect for him, he offered a higher degree of protection to him, and this was the way their relationship worked.

Bulma was forced to remember the time she had walked in on them passed out on her king-sized bed. Trunks preferred their big feather mattress over his much smaller full-sized one and he made this known numerously: after the first time it became a regular sort of thing. The picture of it alone sprang up tears of affection in her eyes. Maybe every other mother considered this particular act normal as their husbands probably spent considerable amounts of time with their kids. To her the deed meant the world. It startled her that Vegeta would let their son come so close though she was eternally grateful for it.

As Vegeta secured Trunks on him by embracing one of his arms around the back of the boy's legs Trunks embraced his small arms around his neck and snuggled into his chest. Vegeta shut the last door to the car and clicked at the top of a capsule he was holding in his free hand. The car disappeared into thin air and was now secured safely inside the capsule. The couple walked together towards the house. They truly had never felt so tired.

**.o.**

"Oh hi Bulma!" greeted Ms. Briefs in her usual cheery tone. Bulma nodded tiredly.

"Hi mom," she yawned. "I'm just gonna..." she yawned again. "I'm just gonna go to my room," the woman seemed to have spoken for the three of them as the trio headed towards the rooms together not a word spoken between them or between anybody else in the house. When Vegeta reached the door to Trunks' bedroom Trunks quickly stirred and awakened. He pulled back so he and his father could look in the eye.

"I'm glad you came back dad," he said.

"Me too," said Vegeta in a low and raspy tone. Bulma felt warm all over. Vegeta entered Trunks' bedroom and Bulma stayed behind to hear what her husband and her son had to say to each other. When she stole a peek she found Vegeta had kneeled beside their son's bed. Her ear was more attentive than ever.

"Did you go to hell when you went away?" asked Trunks curiosity resonant in his tone.

"Worse, I had to meet that old goof in charge of dead people," Vegeta rectified. The pair chuckled in the same sort of evil airs.

"Mom cried when I told her I'd take care of her…'cause you were gone," said Trunks carefully. Bulma felt her cheeks burn.

"Your mom was overreacting," said Vegeta in a tired tone.

"But mom never cries," Trunks pointed out persistently

"She cries for everything. It's an earthling tradition," said Vegeta firmly. Bulma knew he had to be wearing that malicious smirk of his when he said this and a frown took form right in between her eyebrows. Another peek showed her that Trunks was tracing the fine lines that defined his father's face with his small fingers.

"You need to rest," muttered Vegeta worn out.

"You too," Trunks said quietly. Bulma knew by the silence that had suddenly erupted that Trunks had probably closed his eyes. This meant Vegeta was probably getting ready to leave their son's bedroom so she tiptoed all the way to their bedroom to dissimulate her eavesdropping…

**.o.**

When Vegeta entered their bedroom he found Bulma seated before her dark wood vanity set brushing her short hair with a big and wide silver hairbrush.

"How long were you listening?" he asked crossing his arms on his chest. The Saiyan Prince let the side of his body rest against the near wall as he waited for an answer.

"I wasn't listening," Bulma stated quickly making him scoff.

"Liar."

"Fine," Bulma looked at him now. "I _was_ listening. So?" she stood and walked over to him. In Vegeta's eyes all that was present was exhaustion.

"Are you ok?" Bulma asked running the back of her hand down his cheek.

"I'm fine," Vegeta caught the hand in the act. Bulma leaned in and kissed him.

"Let's go to bed," she suggested. In a swift movement Vegeta had picked her up. Bulma straddled her legs around his hips and entangled her fingers in his soft black hair.

"You're getting heavy," said Vegeta with a smirk. It truly was no effort at all for him.

"You're getting weak," said Bulma knowing this would definitely have its effect on his larger-than-average ego.

"We'll see about that," Vegeta whispered on her lips. Bulma kissed him again feeling as he carried them over to their bed. Vegeta sat on the mattress and lay back with Bulma on top of him. He bent his arms under his head for support.

"I'm proud of you," Bulma smiled.

"I know," Vegeta responded dryly.

"You did an honorable thing," Bulma started again. "But don't ever do it again. Ever," she leaned in. Her hair fell loose on his face as they kissed. Their lips felt cold at first then warm, soft, slowly they continued until it became hard to breathe.

"I love you," she cupped his face in her hand and they explored each other's features as if this was the first time they had ever been so close.

"You should've seen Trunks today. He was so proud of you," Bulma was beaming. At this Vegeta seemed to get lost in a trance. It was here that they had reached the highlight for the evening: had his son witnessed the scene of his father killing more than ten thousand people mercilessly, carelessly, just for the fun of it?

"What?" Bulma could sense his worry. She knew exactly what this was about. "Trunks wasn't at the stadium when it happened," she spoke softly and Vegeta stared at her in disbelief. "I know it wasn't you that killed those people."

"You wouldn't know that," said Vegeta.

"Well you can't fool me," Bulma insisted. "I happen to know you better than you think," she said proudly.

"And?" asked Vegeta with a frown.

"And…I know you're sorry," there, she had dared say it. Vegeta stared at her speechless. Bulma cupped his face in her hands and ran her thumbs through his eyebrows.

"Your son is the best thing that ever happened to you," she broke the silence. "And you're the best thing that ever happened to him—" Vegeta looked away with a grunt. Moments like these always made him feel uncomfortable.

"Just so you know he could care a shit less whether you beat Goku," Bulma continued regardless. "The fact that you're around is enough to him. If you do beat Goku, good for you, but it's not going to make him care for you more than he already does. There is no one else he looks up to more than you. It has nothing to do with you beating anybody," she informed as-a-matter-of-factly. Vegeta refused to look at her. It wasn't until she forced him to that they met eyes again.

"Can you promise something?" Bulma requested gently.

"What?" asked Vegeta moodily.

"Promise you'll stop fighting Goku for the sake of proving who the better Saiyan is. It's not worth it. You need to train so you can protect us," she kissed him.

"I'll think about it," they kissed again and Bulma grinned in the kiss.

"Besides, based on the standard, I think it's pretty obvious who the best Saiyan is," she said. Vegeta arched a brow.

"What's the standard?"

"Us of course," Bulma said proudly. "Your family," she added with a smile. _Family_, the word resounded in his head. For feeling so unworthy of this life, for once, he was able to understand: he didn't choose it. Bulma had chosen this life for him and Trunks had grown to complement it precisely. Maybe he didn't deserve it; he knew he hadn't valued his family in the past, back when he didn't understand what it was that he had. For someone that had started out with nothing to feel grateful for having something was truly frightening. He didn't want to get used to it afraid that he might lose it but losing it _depended_ on him. It wasn't until he stopped fighting the feeling that he came to realize this. How long this life lasted was up to him.

"Offhand, I'd say Goku is at a clear disadvantage," Bulma interrupted his thoughts. "And I personally think," she kissed his neck. "There's other things you can probably do much better. In fact, I'm willing to bet my ass on it," they kissed again. This time Vegeta rolled over so he finished with his body on top of Bulma's.

"I'll take that bet," he said making her giggle.

"You better…" because even when it all remained a mystery to him he had no doubt the universe was unfolding exactly like it should.

**The End. **That last quote is Max Ehrmann's. Hope you liked it! Please review! Thank you for reading!


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